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DECEMBER 2017

An Anti-Oppression Lessons & Carols for Epiphany: praying our way toward transformation Praying shapes believing. So we Anglicans believe, and so we practice. That makes our prayers a critically important part of our formation as followers of Jesus Christ and participants with God in overcoming our fragmentation and alienation and restoring us to each other and to God. St. James’s Episcopal Church in Cambridge has long has a particularly diverse congregational membership. We proclaim it with joy on our website, “ Welcome to St. James's Episcopal Church in Cambridge, MA, a community known for its diversity, enthusiasm and joy in the Gospel .” But as much as we have enjoyed the great panoply of traditions and experience embodied in our many-colored, many-origined, many-oriented, many-resourced and many-aged congregation, we haven’t always been emboldened to explore that diversity at much depth, preferring to keep things friendly rather than open to what might prove to be painful wounds of difference or uncomfortable divergences of privilege. We realized this with particular poignancy when the Rev. Edwin Johnson joined our leadership in 2010, so that our two clergy were both highly educated & straight but otherwise about as different as could be – Holly Antolini, white, identified as female, older, privileged in just about every way a person can be except by gender; Edwin, Afro-Costa-Rican, young, raised in Roxbury by a single mom, identified as male. Taking Edwin’s arrival as a moment of opportunity, St. James’s Cambridge decided to form an Anti-Oppression Team in 2011.

CLICK HERE to read more about St. James's commitment to anti-oppression

UPCOMING EVENTS AND TRAININGS Mark your calendars!

Join your colleagues in ministry for the 21st Annual Forma Conference : Formed for Justice There is an awesome line up of speakers and workshop presenters this year including: Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Michael Curry preaching at the closing Eucharist Heidi Kim and the Rev. Chuck Wynder, staff officers for Racial Reconciliation and Advocacy for the Episcopal Church sharing how Formation Leaders can adapt Becoming Beloved Community Workshops for every ministry setting and topics that will provide deeper insight into our theme, give needed skills to be a Formation practitioner in the 21st century, and/or workshops that will provide a much-needed breath of fresh air and renewal The Diocese will provide scholarships for volunteer faith formation leaders to attend the conference. For details, please contact Karen Montagno at kmontagno@diomass.com

Annual Faith Formation Leaders Gathering: Godly Play "Outside the Box"

Participation is limited; there are 30 spaces. Registration deadline January 15

Faith formation leaders from across Province I gather each year for informal networking, resource sharing, and lifelong education. Thursday, March 8, 2018 at 6:00 PM -to- Saturday, March 10, 2018 at 3:00 PM Barbara Harris Camp and Conference Center 401 Sawmill Road Greenfield, NH 03047 See Map More information and register online here .

Are you looking for ways to adapt your faith formation offerings to meet the needs of today's children, youth and families? Want to bring Godly Play principles to your community but don't think you have the people and resources to implement a full program? Think again. The Rev. Cheryl V. Minor, Ph.D., Center for the Theology of Childhood Director and Jerome Berryman collaborator helps us discover creative ways to bring Godly Play principles into our communal life.

Sat, 2/3/2018 - 8:30 am to 5:30 pm The Cathedral of St. Paul 138 Tremont St. Boston, MA 02111 See Map 

ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR THE BOSTON LIVE STREAM OPENS ON WEDNESDAY JANUARY 10

Learn how to use the power of community to form strategic alliances. Because once we’ve found connections at the deepest level of our values, we can make progress beyond belief.

This annual conference that takes place in New York City and at partner sites around the country via live stream, including at The Cathedral of St. Paul in Boston. We all want to create a better world—and that requires action and connection. Discerning shared values is crucial to forming powerful partnerships and moving forward with courageous intention. Explore how we can set a collaborative course forward at this year’s conference. Come for the speeches, panels, reflection groups, and networking. Leave with new skills, ideas, inspiration, and a greater capacity to take action rooted in core values and powerful partnerships. Trinity Institute offers one Continuing Education Unit (CEU) for all persons who complete this year’s National Theological Conference. For more information about Trinity Institute’s national THEOLOGICAL CONFERENCE — including speaker bios, schedule, videos, and more—visit TI2018.org

Sat, 2/17/2018 – 8:30am – 3:30pm St John's Episcopal Church 95 Deerfield Ave. Westwood, MA 02090 See Map.

Find more information and register online here .

Eucharistic Visitors are lay people who have been trained to give the Holy Eucharist to those who are unable to attend church services. The duties of this ministry include entering the home or hospital room of an ill or infirm person, leading a brief service and administering the Sacrament with reverence. This training provides the needed licensing to be a Eucharistic Visitor in the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. If you are interested in hosting Eucharistic Visitor Training at your parish or becoming a trainer, please contact Connie Melahoures at conmel@aol.com .

New vestry member? Treasurer? Want to understand the business aspects of your parish? The Congregational Consultants are once again offering their Business Practices Workshops several times this spring. These workshops are important for vestry members, officers and clergy -- anyone involved in the business matters of the parish.

Sat, 2/24/2018 – 9:00am – 1:00p St. Mary's Church 3055 Main Street Barnstable, MA 02630 See Map

Sat, 3/10/2018 – 9:00am – 1:00p St. Paul's Church 127 Summer Street Lynnfield, MA 01940 See Map

FEBRUARY 24 Sat, 3/17/2018 – 9:00am – 1:00p Cathedral Church of St. Paul 138 Tremont Street Boston, MA 02111 See Map MARCH 17

MARCH 10 Sat, 3/24/2018 – 9:00am – 1:00p St. Peter's Church 320 Boston Post Road Weston, MA 02493 See Map MARCH 24

Clergy Safe Church Refresher Training

Tue, 5/15/2018 – 8:30am – 3:30p St. Andrew's Church 3 Maple Street Framingham, MA 01702 See Map

Find more information and register* online here .

This training is designed specifically for members of the clergy to increase awareness regarding sexual misconduct and abuse of power, to outline steps toward preventing abuse, and to offer ways to intervene when misconduct occurs.  All clergy canonically resident or licensed in the Diocese of Massachusetts are expected to attend Safe Church Training once every three years. The diocese is committed to healthy church environments and needs the shared wisdom and experience of everyone to make them so. *There is no fee for the training but pre-registration is required; coffee, continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. Questions about Safe Church Training may be directed to the Rev. Karen Montagno at kmontagno@diomass.org or 617-482-4826, ext. 413. Interested in becoming a trainer or hosting a training at your parish? Complete and return this form !

Anti-Oppression Epiphany Carols - Cathedral Church of St. Paul            Sat, 1/6/2018 Spring Learning Event "Brave Conversations"- Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts           Sat, 3/3/2018 "Seeing the Face of God in Each Other" The Anti-Racism Training Program of The Episcopal Church            Racial Reconciliation & Social Justice Team - Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts            Fri, 3/9/2018 – 5:00pm – 8:45pm -to- Sat, 3/10/2018 – 9:00am – 4:00pm Register Now! Family Camp - Barbara Harris Camp and Conference Center            Thurs, 6/21/2018 -to- Sun, 6/24/2018